This application relates generally to monitoring debris, and more particularly, to estimating deterioration of a gas turbine engine performance using information from the monitoring.
Gas turbine engines are known and typically include multiple sections, such as an inlet section, an inlet particle separation section, a fan section, a compression section, a combustor section, a turbine section, and an exhaust nozzle section. The fan section or the compression section moves air into the engine. The air is compressed as the air flows through the compression section. The compressed air is then mixed with fuel and combusted in the combustor section. Products of the combustion are expanded through turbine sections to rotatably drive the engine.
As known, operating the engine deteriorates the components of the engine. The rate of deterioration is predictable in many operating environments based on the time in service, for example. Many engines, however, operate in debris laden environments, which can cause the rate of deterioration to vary. For example, debris, like sand, moving through the engine can accelerate wear and erosion of the components. Increasing the debris ingested into the engine thus often accelerates the rate of component deterioration due to wear and erosion caused by the debris. The debris can also undesirably glassify on the surfaces of components within the engine and have an adverse effect on the performance of those components. Operating the engine with deteriorated components can affect the performance of individual component and the overall performance of the engine.